Stairway to Heaven
by Felicity Dream
Summary: After Edward leaves Bella, she's lost. Hanging only by a thread of hope in the form of the Volturi, she heads to Volterra, Italy with her death and maybe her rebirth in mind. There, three brothers will start to cultivate and care for her heart, and she gains a new collection of vampires as family.
1. Sparkling Angels, I Believe

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of the characters, else I wouldn't be writing fanfiction of it.  
Story: After Edward leaves Bella, she's lost. Hanging only by a thread of hope in the form of the Volturi, she heads to Volterra, Italy with her death (and maybe her rebirth) in mind. There, three brothers will start to compete for her heart.  
Set AU of New Moon.  
Spoilers: For Twilight and some of New Moon, for sure.  
Warnings: Smut in the future, language, violence, slightly suicidal thoughts, etc…  
Pairings: Aro/Bella, Marcus/Bella, Caius/Bella, Demetri/Athenodora, Felix/Heidi, Charlie/Sulpicia

A/n: So, as promised, the first chapter as gift to all my loyal readers of "Devil in a Sweet Kiss" and "Stranger Happenings." This first chapter is just a taste and while it will be updated, won't have higher priority than other fics (especially my two other Twilight fics) unless I have like a huge inspiration and write up this huge new chapter or something. Thank you all and please enjoy!

Also keep in mind that I was writing this to realistically write out Bella after Edward left her, realistically how she would be able to get over it, and that she didn't need Edward to fix herself. Which I really find ridiculous that she would forgive him so easily, or taken him back so quickly. I know in real life, at least, there would be some hesitancy and that that kind of thing would plague a relationship after. Things like that aren't so quick to be wiped clean and give a clean slate. Sorry, barely edited. I'm in a hurry.

**Stairway to Heaven  
**_Chapter One: Sparkling Angels, I Believe_

It wasn't like she wanted to die. The truth was that she was already dead, barely clinging to the world. So empty inside that she walked around lifeless, and if it weren't for the long ago whispered mentions of who _he_ had addressed as the Volturi, the ruling clan of vampires that was her only lifeline, she wouldn't even have had the energy to summon a façade.

The day he'd left her, alone in that forest, she almost succumbed to the darkness. She lay there shivering, catatonic and almost completely gone. And then flashes of whispers, hearing him speak of the Volturi once more, and she had purpose. If she was to die, it would be by their hand. Edward had already killed her heart, mind, and will. She had entered his fantastic world, a world she never belonged in but longed for. And so her body will die as well by that world.

She'd brokenly traipsed back to her home, her worried father on the phone and ready to call a search party for her. She'd given a bland excuse of getting lost in the forest and that she was okay, and mentioned nothing of Edward to her father –even though he knew something about him had hurt her.

She'd gone back to school, finishing her senior year with good grades and with one goal in mind. The whole year, she was basically numb, but remembering the thread of hope that was the Volturi and her goal, she made herself seem outwardly normal.

They didn't talk about her. Her old friends. The school. She'd smile brokenly at them, and they didn't want to say anything because that broken smile hurt so much that even they felt the hurt. Even when she wasn't in sight and her broken smile couldn't be seen to haunt them, just remembering her and her smile made them silent. It was better to ignore and pretend she didn't exist, than to acknowledge that she was there and that a person could suffer so much and feel that much pain.

Mentioning Bella meant remembering how broken she was, and no one wanted to think about that.

So in between barely socializing with people reluctant to be near her and hanging onto the thought of the Volturi, she went through the motions of life until the time came. She'd talked about it with Charlie, saying she didn't want to go to college just yet. He reluctantly agreed to let her go, feeling that she needed time to herself and maybe a vacation would help her heal from whatever it was that had hurt her so much.

As soon as she set foot in the city of Florence, she knew she wouldn't be able to find a place to stay in or make it to Volterra in time. With the night quickly coming, she found a hidden niche and settled in, feeling miserable. But at least she was finally feeling something. Still, she had so long to plan this, she could've preplanned a hotel and anything else she needed…Not that any of it mattered, with her impending death…

She fell asleep quickly and night descended.

When morning came, she was surprised that she wasn't harmed in the night or a vampire had gotten to her. Her luck, for once, hadn't gone south. Feeling hungry, she searched out a place to eat. Finding a small café, she entered and walked up to the counter. She ordered quickly, barely noticing what she was ordering and felt around in her bag for her wallet.

Nothing.

Panicking, she searched her entire knapsack and found a single change of clothes and everything else was stolen. It seemed she did have horrible luck in the night, and that someone had stolen everything she'd own. Even her passport. She was going to die soon, but still. It seemed ridiculous she'd have such horrible luck happen to her then.

"I'm sorry. I seem to be missing my wallet."

Sighing, she left the café and walked away, aimlessly walking around the city. She found a free map and decided she should at least start her trek to Volterra, knowing she can't afford any other transportation other than to walk there herself.

For two days, she traveled on foot, only stopping to sleep at night in the niches, alleys, corners, and even occasional tree if she wasn't in a town in between Florence and Volterra. Finally, unable to stand it any longer, she stopped in a town. She knew it wouldn't be long until her end, but that didn't mean she couldn't afford to stop. She didn't have to hurry. She waited this long, she could afford to wait a little longer. She'll just earn some money and then she could travel to Volterra in better conditions, be able to eat, wash, and anything else she felt like doing before her death.

The only problem was that she didn't speak Italian, had no credentials, and wasn't qualified for anything.

After searching and searching, and no luck, she ended up at a small establishment that was mostly hidden and out of the way. It looked old and run down, but yet sturdy. Going in, she paled, finally reacting to something instead of the usual apathy.

A strip club was not a place she had been looking for or ever wanted to be in.

"You looking for work?" a man nearby asked her in a heavy Italian accent and awkward English, sleazily looking her up and down.

She wasn't that desperate. She was looking for her death, but with the Volturi. And she didn't want to be hurt anymore.

"Our dancers have room and food."

"Yes. Work."

She was going to die. Her dignity and life didn't matter anymore.

The week passed, and she danced for the customers.

She came down, wrapped in cloth, bending her body and arching it this way and then that way. Her head tilted backwards before she'd turned it slowly, kicking her leg into the air and out of the confines of the cloth. When she'd finally slipped away completely, she sensually moved from the cloth to the floor, swaying her body uncaringly, the hood of her small black robe surprisingly having not slipped off once.

Sliding her fingers in between the front folds of her robe, she untied it and tossed it to the side.

And so she danced and she danced, even as tears started to mar her face, and she blew out candles and slid hot wax down her body, torso bare except for the dripping wax that burned their tracks down her body just like tear tracks paralleled on her face.

Funny how she hasn't tripped or done something clumsy since Edward left her. When she'd actually cared, she was clumsy. Now that she didn't care for anything, her clumsiness seemed to have gone.

In front of the mirror, she stared at her image and wondered what had happened. The mascara running down her face, complete with the tears, and the broken gaze she couldn't get rid of. The trembling lips. The watery eyes. The blank face and the tired body.

Where did Bella Swan go? What had happened?

That night, she cleaned herself up, took the money she earned and left without looking back, leaving her knapsack and that one change of clothing.

Nothing mattered anymore. It was time to meet her fate.

It was early morning when she'd finally arrived in Volterra, and the town was barely waking up. She walked around without any direction, visiting the main tourist sites that were near. Seeing the Piazza dei Priori, she wandered near there and found the early bunch of tourists being guided by a beautiful woman.

She smiled and slipped in.

Once inside the castle, she couldn't help laughing at that –it was, for once, typical of a vampire –, the beautiful woman that Bella knew for a fact was a vampire led them all into a room. And there, several beautiful people surrounded them and she knew it was feasting time.

Her smile on her face, she closed her eyes and readied for her inevitable death, even as screams echoed around her.

This was it. This was finally it.

A rush of wind blew back her hair, and she knew a vampire had sped right in front of her.

"You knew what we were. Even before we started to feed," his musical Italian voice whispered into her ear.

She frowned and opened her eyes. In front of her was an unbelievably gorgeous man, dark hair hanging softly around his face, and ruby eyes that had a milky film over them. He had very pale skin, paler than a regular vampire's even, and an unreadable gaze that felt like he could read into her easily without her having to say anything.

"Volturi," she whispered, and she knew without having to see her own face, that that broken gaze people was unnerved by was on it.

His hand rose up quickly, but she didn't flinch. But he only trailed the tips of his fingers down her face, pushing her hair slightly out of the way and behind her ear.

"How do you know of us?"

"Your kind killed me from the inside," she gave one last smile and collapsed, the hardship of the past days (but really the entire time since Edward left her) finally catching up to her.

Aro caught her before she fell to the floor and gazed at her curiously, her body limp in his arms.

* * *

The girl woke up days later, weak from lack of food and no proper sleep. She was pale and gaunt, but still so beautiful. For a human, he doubted anyone would be her match, even with how deteriorated she was. If she had been healthy, she probably would've been even more beautiful.

It was only he and his brothers in the room, staring steadfastly at the slowly becoming aware human. She blinked away sleep before looking around in confusion, eyes landing on them. When they lit up in recognition, she nodded to herself in content resignation.

"What is your name, girl?" Marcus asked, surprising his brothers. He was never interested in anything since Didyme's death, and rarely spoke if he didn't have to.

"Bella…Bella Swan," she answered hesitantly, her slight confusion showing.

"Bella…is that shortened from Isabella, cara mia?" he asked, making the girl blush and made his brothers even more surprised. Along with the fact he'd expressed an endearment to her, he was still interacting and speaking willingly.

"Y-yes. I don't understand. Aren't you going to kill me?" her voice was small and she was looking unsurely at them.

"We have not decided that yet," Aro spoke next, glancing at his brothers. "It is not everyday a human comes here willingly to be killed."

He, for one, did not want to kill her. Her smell was irresistibly appetizing, but she herself was very intriguing. And he could not deny there was a pull from himself towards her, one that he did not understand.

"If you will, Isabella, I would like you to know what led to your coming here. You won't even have to speak. Just hold my hand," Aro smiled pleasantly, trying to look outwardly friendly and kind.

Her face had a look of dawning comprehension.

"Your power then," she muttered, and before anyone had a chance to question her about it, she'd touched his hand.

He waited a couple of seconds, before realizing in shock that his power did not work on her.

"I'm afraid, Isabella, that you will have to speak after all. My power does not seem to work on you," her intrigue and draw became even more for him once he realized he couldn't access her mind.

She sighed, "Your power doesn't work on me either then…"

"From the beginning, cara mia," Marcus prompted.

Aro looked to the last brother, the only one having not said or done anything, seeing Caius calm and stone-faced. It was unusual. He would have demanded her death right away, ranting angrily and pacing like a wild cat. His face should have been an array of upset emotions. Caius would not have been calm and still, or have been able to keep his emotions in check.

He would have to check on his brothers later, but it could wait. Now, it was most important to get the girl's story out first.

Her lips twisted upwards in a bitter smile, before being wiped clean of emotion.

"I moved to Forks, for the sake of my mother's happiness. I settled in, and my father was happy I was there. Everything was just fine until I met _him_. It hurts still to think about him, but saying or thinking his name is worse. It's like my heart is being ripped out again and again.

"We met in my Biology class officially, though I heard about him and his family from a new friend at lunchtime. They were different and so they stood out. They were all so incredibly beautiful and perfect. I was fascinated with them, and I couldn't understand why. Then, in class, a fan blew my scent towards his direction and the entire class time, he'd stiffened up and was glaring at me hatefully. I had no idea what I'd done or what was his problem."

She burst into tears, compulsively grabbing onto Aro, who had been closest to her. He was surprised, and in his surprise he'd let his guard down and some kind of invisible force hit him and then retracted a little. Then it lashed out around him, gentling into what he could actually feel as waves, touching his brothers. And then he was seeing images. His last errant thought was that his brothers were probably being pulled into whatever was happening as well, if those waves meant anything.

And that she probably had no idea what was happening or what was going on by the look on her face as the area blacked out from his vision.

Then they were seeing exactly what she was talking about. Leaving her mother, settling into Forks, meeting Edward Cullen (the Cullens, of all vampires!), her figuring out the truth, the tentative romance starting between a human and a vampire, the nomads who were careless and could have exposed their kind by their reckless hunting, the tracker being killed, her birthday party, and then him leaving her broken. Her fractured life followed, seeing how she barely pulled herself together enough to live through another year, planning for her death all the while, and then her actual arrival to Italy. Her pains in getting here, and now her hope for an end to all of her pain.

The feeling of being slammed into his body disconcerted him, though Aro quickly composed himself. Another thing to add to the intriguing little thing that was Bella Swan, though he'd definitely needed to find out what had happened just then.

"I'm sorry," she whispered horrified. "I have no idea what had happened. Are you all alright?"

So, so intriguing…far more concerned about their sakes than hers –and they were vampires!

A smile made its way slowly across his face.

"I do believe, Isabella, that we would like you to stay with us for a little while longer. I cannot tell how much I sympathize for your pain, but we would like to give you another chance. A life with us. The Volturi welcomes you."

He stood up, smiling calmly at her when inside he was anything but. He didn't just sympathize with her pain. Having experienced her memories along with the emotions she felt deeply in each one, he was completely rattled and felt her pain as if it was his own. More than that, on behalf of her, he irrationally felt rage and was upset by all those who'd hurt her.

Well, the Cullens would be losing a family member soon. He would make sure of that.

And he wasn't talking about Edward.

He glanced back at the confused, slightly hopeful, and yet more upset girl. He could see now that she was conflicted, unable to truly trust him or his words but also unable to get rid of the hope of truly being accepted and loved. What was more, she wasn't sure if being turned could get rid of the pain and that maybe this turn of events wasn't such a good thing after all, not when it would be better to be dead than be in pain for eternity.

"Think about it at least, Isabella," Aro advised warmly, turning to leave.

Caius followed, still that strange calm and quiet, but Marcus didn't move. In fact, a second later he moved closer to Bella, sitting on her bed and facing her. He slowly moved to grasp her hands, holding onto it, as his brothers stopped at the door, turning halfway to stare curiously at him.

Aro definitely needed to look into his brothers' minds. This was turning out to be quite interesting…

"You have a broken bond, one that is beyond repair and completely mangled. It will never be the same. Know at least, cara mia…that it was never meant to last," he said softly.

She stared at him, trembling and face looking stuck in stunned dismay, before she carefully launched herself at him and cried into his neck. He gently patted her back, holding onto her.

The two brothers stared, before turning and continuing on their way and leaving the two alone.

Bella was inwardly horrified at her reaction and how much emotion she had been showing. These three vampires' presence seemed to pull the life out of her and made her feel vulnerable. She hadn't felt vulnerable in a while. She'd only felt numb or excruciating pain.

"I don't know who you are," she muttered, starting to realize the awkward position she was in, hugging and being hugged by not just a strange man but a vampire. And the fact she'd embarrassingly cried on him.

"My name is Marcus. I am one of the Volturi leaders that…he told you about. You don't recognize me from the painting you were shown in Carlisle's study?"

"Oh…yes, now that I think about it I do remember the resemblance. I haven't been thinking clearly for so long…"

He tightened his arms around her a little bit, enough to be comfortable but not enough to hurt with his strength.

"Sleep, cara mia. You have slept for a while, but you need more rest. I will be here," and he adjusted them to lie on the bed, he still holding her as she clung to him.

She let him, strangely calm and accepting of the situation and of his presence.

"He used to hold me like this. I went to sleep with his arms around me every night…I grew so used to it that I couldn't sleep when he went away," she murmured.

He hummed comfortingly and she immediately settled into a deep sleep.

If Aro was thinking the same thing as he, then Bella's destiny to become a Cullen would change.

She would take her rightful place as a Volturi.

* * *

Charlie was terrified. He'd phoned his daughter several times, and he couldn't get a hold of her. So he did what any worried father would do, regardless of emotional reticence. He resigned from his post as Chief of Police in Forks, sold his house, put his and her belongings in a storage facility, and flew to Italy in search of his daughter.

He had a simple knapsack with several changes of clothes and his wallet. Like father, like daughter.

He'd booked a room in an inexpensive hotel in Florence for a week, looking everywhere for a tip or a lead to Bella's whereabouts.

Nothing.

His week was up and he had to admit defeat in that town. Gritting his teeth, he looked at a map, trying to pinpoint his next likely lead on location. None of his police skills would work in this instance if he had nothing to work with…

Doing his customary call to his daughter, just in case she still had her phone and she'd pick it up this time, he ended after the 15th dial tone and furiously rubbed his palm against his forehead in agitation. The other hand gripped his phone, wanting to chuck it out the window, but then it just vibrated and his ringtone sounded.

Clumsily opening it, trying to answer as quickly as he could, he held it to his ear and said "Hello?"

"Charlie?" his old friend Billy asked.

His eagerness faded and he sighed. "Yeah, Billy? Sorry I left so sudden. I should've said goodbye before I left."

"Volterra."

Charlie blinked and scrunched up his eyebrows in confusion. "What? What are you talking about?"

"If you're looking for her, that's where she would have gone…Don't go after her, Charlie. Please. It'll be too late for her. You don't need to lose your life too."

"I don't know what the hell you're talking about, Billy, but I'm not just going to leave her behind! I'm going after her!" he spat into the phone.

"She's dead, Charlie! She's dead! They'll kill you too –!"

"Thanks for the tip," and Charlie hung up.

Staring decidedly at his phone, he turned it off just when it started ringing again. Bella wasn't going to call. Wherever she was, she was in trouble and probably couldn't call him. He didn't know how Billy knew that information, but he seemed sincere and it was the only lead Charlie had.

Looking back at his map, he picked out an almost straight line leading to Volterra from Florence. He'll set off tomorrow when it was early light and he could catch a cab or something. He could check the towns on the way for any more clues, but he wanted to get to Volterra quickly.

"I'm coming, Bells," he murmured.

Starting on his search immediately, he found that he _was_ getting closer. Several people had told him in broken English that they'd seen the girl in the photo he'd shown anyone he could in his path.

It was only a matter of time before he got to his baby girl.

* * *

In the same week that her father was looking for her, Bella had been left entirely alone. She quickly found that she'd been locked in that wing by herself, though no doubt any of the vampires there could break through. But it was a warning to them not to try.

And for her to be left alone in silence.

Perhaps, even, so she couldn't escape.

It didn't matter either way. She was looking for her salvation there –not damnation. She wanted to be saved in death, not to be trapped in her pain forever. So she had her mind made up, knowing the next time she saw a vampire, she'd do something incredibly stupid to hurt herself and bleed.

Her blood was incredibly tempting, after all. That was what _he'd_ said.

For that week, she'd walked around, exploring that wing and wondering when they'd come to her. Bella was starting to feel bored, an emotion she'd not felt in a long while. It was strange. Here, in the presence of these vampires, she'd found life again.

She hated it.

Bella had died inside. It made no sense why she would feel again, and when she hadn't felt anything in so long. And that irritated her because she wasn't _supposed_ to feel anything.

"You acknowledged us and then your first words to us had been 'Your kind killed me from the inside,'" Marcus' voice echoed in the corridor.

She whipped around, looking at him in surprise. She had not seen him since he'd left her in her room when they'd first met.

"And now you are confused, are you not, cara mia? Because 'my _kind_' has now brought you back to life and you are resentful and lost because you do not how to live again."

She scowled at him before doing as she'd promised herself. She saw the glass vase next to her and hit it with her hand, causing it to fall on the floor and break. Falling to her knees, she slammed her hand on a shard of glass, biting back a cry of pain.

She looked up, ready to face her death, only to see Marcus raise a slender eyebrow. But then he started walking slowly to her, and she thought that finally she would die. He knelt next to her, taking his time, grabbing her hand gently and slowly lapped at the blood pooling on her hand, his tongue sensuously darting out and tasting the red liquid languidly again and again.

But he didn't sink his teeth into her.

Bella squirmed, a heavy blush rising to her cheeks –something she hadn't done since _he'd_ left.

"Don't you, you know…want to bite me and drain me dry?"

With a final lick, Marcus straightened up a little, and grinned at her lazily.

"No. I'm an _ancient_ vampire, cara mia. I have had years to control my thirst –longer than your Carlisle."

She started to feel pain at the remembrance of one of them, when Marcus actually successfully distracted her from it by continuing to talk.

"Even though your scent is incredibly mouthwatering and nearly irresistible, I do have my control to restrain myself. Now, come. I shall you show you our library. It is Aro, Caius, and mine's personal collection."

Bella's eyes lit up. Her love of books was still there at least.

"Why is this wing locked?" she blurted out, curious but not meaning to ask it.

Marcus smiled at her, "This is myself and my brother's wing. We have it locked because we do not wish to be bothered unless it is absolutely necessary. When any three of us are in here, we are not to be bothered. So no, we had not meant to trap you in here."

Bella blushed.

"I also meant to come to you much earlier, but Aro forbid us from coming near you, wanting you to have your peace and quiet to make up your mind without the interference of others."

"So why are you here then?"

"Because I became just as bored as you and didn't feel like listening to his order anymore."

She gave a genuine smile at that, another first in a long while.

In another trip to their library, one she made by herself since Marcus had to attend to business outside with his brothers, Bella was embarrassed to find that it was already occupied. By a beautiful woman and man, both steadily moving as one on one of the tables in the large library. About to turn and run, she heard the woman purr out to her.

"Child, stay there. Wait," the woman ordered and Bella felt herself freeze on the spot, still embarrassed to have caught the couple having sex.

The couple finished up and then she was faced with the beautiful vampires, both with ruby eyes. She had fair hair, tousled from the sex, and he had natural messy brown locks, both of them slim and unbothered by being caught by her.

"I am Athenodora, Caius' wife," the woman introduced herself as, and Bella refrained from blushing at the implications.

"I'm Demetri. I am one of the Volturi guard and their best tracker," the man smiled at her pleasantly, though he seemed uncomfortable in her presence. She could guess it had to do with her scent and her being human, and that Athenodora felt the same. Their postures were entirely too straight to be anything but.

"You must be the human girl Edward Cullen has enchanted under his spell," Athenodora remarked in amusement.

Edward.

_Edward._

_EDWARD._

Bella didn't notice she was hyperventilating. She didn't notice the tears immediately springing into her eyes. She didn't notice her backing away and starting to fold in on herself, her hands quickly moving to clutch at her chest. She didn't notice the two vampires looking at her in alarm, asking her what was wrong.

All she knew was the hole in her chest was ripped open again and the agonizing pain was hitting her like a battering ram.

"_Rinse him from your system, Bells. He's __**bad**__ for you." Jacob._

"_Bella, you know that song? Just rinse and cleanse him. I __**told**__ you about Edward." Jessica._

"_He's a leech!" Paul._

"_Rinse."_

"_Cleanse."_

"_**Rinse**__ and __**cleanse**__."_

"I can't. I can't. I can't! Edward, Edward, Edward, Edward," she started muttering to herself, rocking herself back and forth as her arms grasped around her body as if to hold herself together. That was all she could mutter. His name. Nothing else was registering.

Not even Athenodora picking her up and holding her to her bosom, running to a sofa to rock her near the fire, muttering reassurances into her ear and wincing from the emotions Bella was throwing out.

"Demetri," Athenodora struggled to speak. "Come here."

Demetri had been leaning his head heavily against a bookshelf, trying to clear his head and separate him and his emotions from Bella. Hearing his lover though, he forcibly looked towards them, taking slow steps to move closer. It was hard, what with the force of emotions blaring from the human and hitting him.

"I'm sorry," Athenodora gasped into Bella's ear. "I hadn't meant to hurt you."

When Demetri finally reached them, Athenodora reached out with one hand and led him to her other side, placing Bella between them. They muttered assurances into the girl's ear, but she didn't respond, eyes dull and face twisted into unimaginable pain.

"Edward, Edward, Edward, Edward, Edward," she repeated over and over again, like a broken record.

"Demetri, I haven't seen such a reaction before. You must find my husband. Or better yet, Marcus. He is the closest one to her," Athenodora said in worry.

Demetri nodded, extracting himself. He sped out of the room, hurrying to find either vampire. Athenodora held Bella closer, tighter, and kept whispering into her ear, eyes fluttering close and wishing that she could spill tears.

"I'm sorry."

Marcus and Demetri burst in first, followed by Caius, Aro, and surprisingly Sulpicia, who wandered in behind the others with a bored expression. The group reeled back in horror as they were battered with wave after wave of agony, sometimes accompanied by flashes of images that they caught only because they were vampires and their minds were fast enough to process them.

"Edward, Edward –"

"It is here where I wish that Zafrina had accepted our offer our join us," Marcus winced.

Aro looked at him in confusion, barely able to be confused when his mind just wanted to be immersed in the pain and be left alone, even though he himself was logically wishing the pain gone. It was Bella's influence he knew. Because she could only feel pain and had no time or want to feel anything else.

But Aro forced himself to reach out and touch his brother's hand, face lighting up in understanding as Marcus pulled away and moved to Bella's side, taking her from Athenodora.

"Bella, my love, I am here."

And it was not Marcus' voice that spoke from his lips, but an imitation of a vampire that had ensnared the little human in his arms.

"Edwa –"

She stilled at his voice. Her eyes unseeing, Marcus got away with his illusion.

"Zafrina _would_ have been useful," Aro muttered too low for Bella to hear, but the others did.

For the Amazon coven member had been able to project illusions into the minds of others, and a complete illusion was exactly what Bella needed right then.

"Edward Cullen, hm," Sulpicia surprisingly spoke up. "A woman's heart is a fragile thing, no matter how strong or independent we will ourselves to be. No matter what we say, we can't help but be ruled with our emotions. The next time that boy comes here, he is dead," she ended coldly. She strode passed everyone, close to Marcus and Athenodora, and knelt down to face Bella's unfocused eyes.

"I will never forgive a man who will destroy a girl so utterly she doesn't know how to go on without death."

She glanced at the rest of the men hanging back warily, "Go. This requires a woman's touch. Marcus, you may stay since she is clearly comfortable and safe with you. But don't use _his_ voice. She must clean herself of that boy's influence."

That seemed to have reached Bella.

"I can't, I can't! I _can't rinse and cleanse_! I will die without him! Do any of you understand?! I can't _rinse and cleanse_! He's _my_ personal drug!"

Sulpicia flinched. "Go."

And she was left with Marcus and Athenodora, and a broken human girl.

Started 9/7/09 –Completed 12/16/09


	2. In My Time of Need

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of the characters, else I wouldn't be writing fanfiction of it.  
Story: After Edward leaves Bella, she's lost. Hanging only by a thread of hope in the form of the Volturi, she heads to Volterra, Italy with her death (and maybe her rebirth) in mind. There, three brothers will start to compete for her heart.  
Set AU of New Moon.  
Spoilers: For Twilight and some of New Moon, for sure.  
Warnings: Smut in the future, language, violence, slightly suicidal thoughts, etc…  
Pairings: Aro/Bella, Marcus/Bella, Caius/Bella, Demetri/Athenodora, Felix/Heidi, Charlie/Sulpicia

A/n: I repeat, this will NOT be a Bella/Edward fic. It's not what I write, so no worries to those who worry this will be a BxE fic. I had inspiration, so I wrote another chapter, but I'm again warning this isn't high priority. Thank you to everyone who favorited, alerted, and especially to those who reviewed. They make me really happy, so I appreciate everyone taking time to do so. Also, if anyone wants something similar to this but completed, I have a fic called "Acta Sanctorum" out that you might enjoy.

**Stairway to Heaven  
**_Chapter Two: In My Time of Need_

She was unresponsive, almost as dead as them if it weren't for the barely there breathing. But she would not heed their words, their touches. It was as if she had died on the inside, and only her body was left –alive but not living.

Just like she'd told them in the beginning.

"_Your kind killed me from the inside."_

Perhaps it would be a mercy to kill her, and save her soul from the purgatory it was in.

It had been a month since the incident that led to her doll-like state, and the longer it became the more Sulpicia's ire at Edward Cullen grew. Athenodora spent her time in the large room they'd put Bella in, talking about idle stuff, sometimes bringing Demetri with her. She dressed Bella almost always in Lolita dresses, curling her long locks and styling them partway in an updo. Not that it mattered, Athenodora was just playing 'dolls' because Bella never said or did anything. It really was like she had her very own life-sized doll, and it disturbed her but she had no idea what else to do or what she _could_ do in that strange situation.

None of the other guards even knew about Bella's presence there, had all but forgotten her bizarre interruption in that fateful feeding and thought she'd died soon after Aro had settled his curiosity and fed on her.

They couldn't be more wrong.

Aro couldn't do anything. But he didn't want to be near. He felt her pain twice, shared her memories and emotions. It was disconcerting, and for once he did not wish he'd had his power. After all that, he couldn't possibly do anything to the girl. But he couldn't come _near_. He didn't want to feel her pain again. In fact…he'd actually become _afraid_. Of his power. Of her.

He couldn't use his power on her, and yet she had the power (or_ something_ she had made her able to use it…) of being able to use his own gift against him. And he did not want to feel again the pain of the gaping hole in his chest that was no doubt echoed from her. Once was one time too many, but he did not have the undead heart to kill her so coldheartedly.

He'd decided to lock her away, a comfortable room set aside for her, but out of sight (_out of mind_) and where he could not gaze upon her and remember and feel again. This was a girl he'd connected with on a level he hadn't with anyone else, and haunting pain or not, he would not be so callous as to destroy her even more than she had been by his kind.

Aro would save her.

"I called you all together, because each of you know about the human girl we've kept secret in a room in the abandoned east wing of the castle," Aro said softly.

His two brothers, his wife, Caius' wife, and Demetri looked to him in wary confusion.

"She is to be executed within a week."

Sulpicia and Athenodora immediately were spitting in outrage, ranting and screeching at him. Marcus' face was as smooth and apathetic as ever, unmindful of the announcement and not showing his emotions. Caius looked curious, a bit expected since he was known to take interest and even joy from executions, but the curiosity was limited and he was not voicing his usual agreement in the expected derisive and callous tones. Demetri stood there awkwardly, unsure how he was to act and if he should, thinking he would probably get in trouble for it. It was one thing for the tracker to sleep with Athenodora, it was another for him to defy a King.

"Would you rather keep a broken doll?"

The women quieted down.

Aro solemnly continued, "Because that is what she is. Her eyes are glassy. Her skin is pale. She is unmoving. She does not speak. Her face is unchanging and as vacant in sorrow as ever. She eats and drinks what we forced down her throat, and even then she does not react. We do not even know if she sleeps or if she is just stuck in a waking nightmare. So I will give her what she wants and release her from this existence of pain she is trapped in."

"It is in her best interest," Marcus spoke, surprising them all once more. He was the closest to Bella, and yet he seemed accepting of her inevitable death.

"I will submit to your order. Reluctantly," Sulpicia spat out. She turned on her heel and left, dragging a morose and upset Athenodora after her. Demetri looked torn, wanting to follow after his lover, but not wanting to upset his Kings. And nor be so obvious about the affair either…

Caius waved him off in apparent annoyance, rolling his eyes with a sneer once the tracker was gone.

Marcus just tilted his head and observed his brother, before giving a mysterious smirk and leaving.

Aro frowned at his back, holding in an exasperated growl. He watched through his peripherals as Caius casually walked around the room, touching things with idle amusement.

"Aro, has it escaped your notice about your motivations for this particular execution?" Caius asked indifferently.

"No, I am aware that I wish to give her wish of death to free her. Is there a problem?" Aro asked sharply.

Caius chuckled lowly, "…Once upon a time, the great leader of leaders would have left a broken doll in a room, and never would have seen her again…forgotten like every other curiosity that has come to pass and has ceased to be interesting…"

Aro held a quiet moment to contemplate that.

"And that is wherein lies the problem, Caius," he murmured. "Curiosity killed the cat. I –we _all_ were curious about this human girl who strode into our feeding room, looking for death with a broken gaze on her face. How did she know of our kind, of the Volturi? Why did she come there looking for death, looking accepting of her fate? The intrigue kept piling up and then the three of us shared her emotions, her memories, and most importantly her _pain_. Experiencing all of that with her made her more than a snack, because we'd come to know and connect with her on a level beyond caring. Sharing such mental intimacy caused us to falter and look at her differently.

"And then she ceased to exist, our fragile package broken by a careless moment. In that instant, between sanity and the edge, we'd connected with her again and it was so _extreme_ and more. And we are left with a beautiful broken doll, porcelain skin intact but full of cracks on the inside, eyes that are dead and completely lifeless, and fixed in eternal sorrow. It is best to free her of anguish. Perhaps we can be freed from her painful spell after."

"If she dies, do you not think the broken doll would then become a ghost, haunting the halls of this castle and tainting our undead souls with her memory? Would we really be free with her death then?" Caius asked, maintaining his casual tone.

"This is unlike you, Caius. Normally, you would be exulted with another execution."

The snow-white haired brother tapped his fingers once against the table.

"A broken doll can be pieced together, bit by bit, painstakingly and with time and patience. It will never be the same as it was before, but it will be beautiful in its own way. Most importantly, it will be _intact_."

And then Caius left, leaving Aro to stare behind him incredulously.

Yet earlier, when Marcus left, he had headed straight for the east wing, searching for the tall and wide white doors that would lead to the broken doll that was housed there. He pushed them open to reveal a white room, the curtains pulled open to stream bright sunlight into it. The large room was essentially bare but for the elegant and grand crystalline chandelier hanging above the lone circular bed that laid low to the ground, almost touching it. The white sheets were barely rumpled, but it was because the human atop it barely moved.

He gazed at her fondly, noting that Athenodora had put Bella in another Lolita-styled dress, white as was matching, lace on the straps and skirt flaring out. Her vacant gaze stared passed him, as if looking through him.

"Another day, cara mia," he murmured, striding closer and sitting beside her, taking a tendril of her hair and teasing it with his fingers. "Will you come alive, our dearest Bella? _We_ would cherish you, you know. You would never be left behind. We would never allow it."

Still, nothing happened.

"Aro's right. You will die and be free again. Your death just won't be what you and he expected," Marcus kissed her neck lightly, the piece of her hair suspended in the air with his fingers still toying with it. "I promise you will have a new life, cara mia. Have faith."

Marcus picked her up and placed her feet on his, taking her hands and leading her in a waltz as he hummed music for them to dance to, the tune of "Dark Waltz" echoing through the chamber. The light of the sun pouring into the room shone on them, making her glow like an angel and he sparkling like a God.

When he left her behind, he had no idea that two of their guard would run into the secret room meant for no one else's eyes but a select few.

Felix and Heidi moved through the halls, oblivious to their direction and not knowing they had entered the forbidden wing. But once they'd entered the white wing, they could hear the tell-tale beat of a live heart.

They stopped kissing and fumbling around, looking curiously about them.

"Do you hear that?" Felix muttered.

"Yeah," she said breathlessly. "Do you think it's a human?"

"Let's find out," he tugged her hand gently and led her to where the sound of a heartbeat grew steadily louder.

They came upon two large doors, as white as the rest of the wing, and they curiously pushed open the doors.

They gazed upon the human doll that stared through them with a vacant stare.

"Hey, human. You're not supposed to be here," Heidi snapped, feeling unnerved.

Felix put a calming hand on her shoulder.

"Heidi, this is the abandoned wing that no one comes near anymore. No one 'remembers' this place, so there's no way a human could've found their way so deep into the castle to find this wing. And look at the way she's dressed and the state of the room. She's obviously being taken cared of, and this room doesn't seem as abandoned as it should be. That means someone must've of thought of this place to put her in here."

"Right…but that would mean most probably the Kings put her here…You can smell the most recent vampire who came in here…I-it's _Marcus_?"

"This girl…isn't she from that feast? And why isn't she saying anything? She's just…sitting there."

Heidi frowned and looked more closely, realizing what her boyfriend said was true. The human sat there, looking through them and generally unresponsive. It was as if they weren't even there.

"Are you okay?" she asked hesitantly, still frowning.

She stepped closer and still nothing. She stopped until she was a hair's breadth away from her, Felix left behind to watch in wariness. Heidi gently touched the tip of her fingers against the girl's temple, and still she didn't react.

"Something's wrong," she murmured, gazing in confusion at the girl.

"Heidi, maybe we should leave," Felix suggested, starting to feel uncomfortable and unnerved.

"Hey, human! Mm, you smell tasty," Heidi snarked, ignoring him. Her smile faltered with no response coming from the girl.

"She doesn't seem alive," he commented.

"Don't be silly," she rolled her eyes. "You can hear her heart and the blood rushing through her veins, not to mention how delicious she smells."

"No, I meant…Look at her, Heidi. She's not really all there. Her body's alive, but no one's home."

Heidi shrugged at him and went back to scrutinizing the girl. And then she plopped herself on the bed, on one side of her. Felix hesitated before coming closer and sitting on her other side, the two of them laying on their fronts as they stared at each other, the girl a silent sentinel between.

"This is nice. Peaceful. Quiet," Felix said calmly.

"It is," Heidi agreed. "We can speak and…and kiss, and she would be here and she would keep our secrets. Wouldn't you, little one?"

Still, the human didn't respond, but her presence seemed soothing and comforting all the same.

So Felix and Heidi chatted freely, frequently including the silent human, even if there wasn't a response.

* * *

"Alec! I'm getting closer!" Jane taunted, searching for her twin. She and Alec always played hide and seek in the forbidden white wing of the castle. It was great for them to play the game there. It was abandoned and no one came near that wing any more. It was large and had a lot of places to hide in. And they wouldn't be bothered.

Perfect for hide and seek.

She huffed, before sniffing and smelling something delicious. Confused, she followed the scent to two extravagant doors that she quickly pushed open. The sight that confronted her wasn't what she'd expected.

It was that strange human from that feast, the one that actually seemed to know what they were and knowingly came there for her death.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Jane spat out, glaring at the girl.

When she got no answer, she stepped forward menacingly, and still nothing.

But the haunting look.

She shivered, but kept glaring. She faltered when nothing she did made the girl respond.

"What is _wrong_ with you?!"

Jane sneered, but she flinched. Confused even more, and strangely upset, she turned hurriedly and ran away.

She hid in her room, her brother coming to find her not too long after, wondering where she had gone. She said nothing, ignoring him and everyone else and just sitting on her bed, curling her knees and holding them to her chest, wrapping her arms around them tightly.

Night descended and Jane still hadn't moved. Nervously, she slowly unfolded herself from her curled position and quietly trekked out of her room, heading hesitantly back to the hidden room with a secret.

There the girl still sat, unmoving and unheeded by Jane's presence. The haunted look, the glassy eyes…

Jane started fidgeting, actually acting like the 14 year old she died as. She never acted her childish age, not unless she was with her brother –playing hide and seek an example of that. She felt uncomfortable that she was now, in the presence of this human, no matter how unaware the human was.

She ran away again.

However, Jane kept coming back, watching the girl first in hostility, then curiosity. She even began to feel comfortable enough to start talking to her civilly, never mind that she never got a response. And the haunting gaze of her companion, while bothered Jane still, was capable of being ignored if Jane never looked her in the face. Soon, Jane had strangely felt herself drawn to the girl, beginning to say personal things about herself, talking about her past, her feelings, and nearly everything.

It was on one of those times, that Jane was interrupted.

"There you are, Janey. I was wondering…where…you were…" Alec trailed off, catching sight of his twin lying down, her head pillowed on a human's lap.

"Don't call me 'Janey'," she mumbled, averting her eyes and burrowing her face into the girl's lap to avoid her brother's stare.

"Jane…why is there a human here and why are you cozying up to her?"

"I don't know. I just…like her," Jane whispered.

She felt the bed dip behind her and then her brother's hand hesitantly touched her back.

"This isn't like you, sister," Alec asked her in a serious tone.

Alec never called her 'sister' unless he was serious and worried.

Jane reluctantly pulled away and turned to face her brother, wearing a rare vulnerable expression on her face.

"She's scares me."

"Scares you?' Alec repeated in confusion, scrunching up his eyebrows.

Jane paused, almost grimacing before she stopped herself.

"Not her. Just –the way she _is_. I've never seen someone act like this before. It's so strange."

Alec glanced at the human before turning back to his sister.

"Not strange. It's unnerving. She's more dead than we are," Alec commented wryly.

Jane frowned and hit her brother's arm. Alec took the hit calmly. Instead, he directed their conversation.

"There are many signs pointing to her being kept with supervision. That means we shouldn't be here, Jane. If we were supposed to know about her than we would have been told of her presence."

She shrugged, but acknowledged her brother's point. She lied back down, scooting herself to lay close to the girl, laying on her side as she grabbed hold of the girl's hand and began lightly tracing it. Alec watched her closely before deciding to echo his twin on the human's other side.

"She's fragile," he commented softly.

"She is. That's why I think she's broken."

The two quietly contemplated that before they, in turn, also left the human doll behind.

* * *

"Buon giorno! How are you, Charlie?"

The man blushed endearingly and scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"I'm doing fine, Heidi. Thanks for helping, you really don't need to and you especially don't have to do the shopping or cooking."

Heidi just smiled at him, putting the bags of groceries more firmly on the counter, "It is alright. I want to help."

After meeting the human girl in the room not to be seen, Heidi had grown less disgusted with humans and even a little averse to drinking from just anyone. She still led groups of them into the feeding room, but she no longer took part in it unless she really knew the type of person they were. She'd taken to having trips into the town and finding criminals. It was on one such night that she met Charlie.

He was fighting against three men, looking tired but determined. He fought as a trained man, so the numbers against him wasn't as much of an advantage when Charlie was a better fighter and seemed to have a strong reason to live and outfight them. He didn't seem like a bad man, just someone who had a reason to live and was fighting for it. So she decided to help him out, showing off just a bit, but not too much to reveal what she was.

She was glad now that she did.

"And I'm glad you enjoy my cooking! It has been a long time since I've cooked for anyone," she said conversationally, keeping bright. "Though probably not as good as your daughter's, I think."

Charlie lowered his head, eyes glazing and face growing morose as he thought about his daughter.

"She was a good cook. She…she was a good daughter," his voice cracked and he started to tear up a little.

She stopped puttering about the kitchen, coming closer to him and pulling him into a hug.

"We will find Bella. I promise."

"I'm so close," Charlie mumbled. "I found her bag. I found out she'd worked at a _strip club_ for a short while, for goodness' sakes. I found her passport, her cellphone, everything but her. I just…need to find _her_ now."

"Shh," Heidi rubbed his back reassuringly, whispering comforting words. "Can I see her picture, Charlie? Will you let me see her? Maybe I can find her, catch sight of her on one of my tourists trips."

She winced at her choice of words in the end, hoping he didn't catch that. No need for him to know she was taking trips into the town to lure tourists in for more than tourism.

But to the matter at hand, Charlie was extremely possessive of the photo and guarded it zealously, protecting and making sure he always had it on him. It was the only thing he had left to remind him of his daughter, to keep her image in his head. Without her there, without video or voice recording, he could not keep the sound of her voice in his head after so long without her there. He wouldn't forget how she looked like. So that's why he insisted that he hold on to the photo and be the one to present it to others, and why she hadn't seen what the girl looked like before and kept to translating and speaking Italian for him.

Sometimes though, she'd even caught him gazing sadly at the photo when he thought no one was watching.

Charlie slowly took the photo from where it lay on the table and handed it to her, and she gazed at it, first looking at it in disbelief and then horror.

Bella Swan. The human doll.

She wanted to laugh hysterically. Or cry. But she couldn't do either. Laughing hysterically wouldn't be a good idea, and she wasn't able to cry.

"She's beautiful," she breathed out.

And she was. Bella looked happy and was smiling with such brilliance, and she looked more alive than the girl hidden away. This was a girl she would have loved to have met.

"How's Felix?" he asked sincerely, though his voice was still subdued.

"F-Felix is fine. Charlie, I have to go. There's something I have to do. I'll be back later, okay?"

Heidi gently placed the photo back onto the table and gave him a smile, before hurrying away. Once outside, she found a dark alley and used her vampire speed to travel in the shadows and head to the castle. But she didn't even stop there, she kept going until large white doors were in sight and she burst through them. She was astonished to find Athenodora already there, sitting behind Bella and brushing long mahogany locks, and seeming unbothered by her entrance.

"A-Athenodora," Heidi stiffened up.

A strange smile flitted across Athenodora's face.

"Heidi," she didn't seem surprised. "I see you've met Bella. She isn't really up to talking to anyone. If you can, please tell Felix, Jane, and Alec that her execution is at dusk."

_Execution?_

Heidi took an unsteady step back and stared.

"Athenodora, you…you can't mean –!"

The elder vampire snapped her eyes up to glare icily at Heidi.

"_Go_."

Heidi clenched her jaw and then angrily turned to do what she was ordered.

She rounded up her boyfriend and the two nightmare twins, and sat them in a spare room in the castle, somewhat far away from the white wing and with all three looking at her expectantly (though Jane's was tinged with annoyance and Alec with boredom).

"Bella is going to be executed as the sun sets," she said in a rush.

"…Heidi, who?" Felix asked for the rest of them, seeing as Jane and Alec just looked incredulous and disdainful.

Heidi quieted before sighing, "The girl in the room."

And she didn't need to elaborate anymore.

* * *

Jane burst through the throne room reminiscent of how Heidi had earlier burst through the forbidden room, but more in anger than the disbelief Heidi had been.

"Master! You can't do this!"

She stomped straight to the three Kings, who sat in their thrones, uncharacteristically tense –not that she noticed. But while they weren't startled by her presence, they were by the manner in which she'd presented herself. It was very unlike Jane.

But Aro, Marcus, and Caius already knew why.

"Jane," Aro moved off his throne and headed towards her, gently taking her hands and gazing sympathetically into her eyes. "You have seen her, child. This is a mercy. I want to free her from her pain, Jane. Surely you can see that?"

Jane shook her head, looking at him with eyes that would've been teary had she been able to cry.

"She's…she's fine. Please, Master. We can just keep her here, in that room. She'll be okay. _We_ can help her," Jane pleaded.

"This is unusual of you, Jane," Caius commented, but he didn't seem disagreeable.

But she had no answer to that.

"Please?"

Aro shook his head, "Her death is final. She will die as the sun dies."

Jane turned and ran away from the man, who other than her brother, held all her devotion.

When she found her brother, she found him sitting on his knees in front of Bella, gazing at the girl pensively.

"I bet she would have liked to have played hide and seek with us," he said suddenly.

Jane licked her lips undecidedly before joining her brother in the same position, and leaning her head against his shoulder.

"I don't want her to die either," he murmured.

Jane and Alec silently comforted each other until Athenodora strode through the door with Felix and Demetri behind her.

"It's time," she told them softly.

"Do you remember the story of Sleeping Beauty? I think it would be appropriate if she were to be laid out on the gold table in the unused kitchens. Felix and I could carry her out on it, and then she could be lying on it in the throne room when it's time," Demetri refrained from being too familiar with Athenodora, but he had wanted to speak out at least.

"I want to help," Alec determinedly said, his tone final.

Jane raised an eyebrow, daring anyone to tell her any different. It was clear what she'd wanted.

"Let's start then," Athenodora reluctantly prompted them to begin.

Demetri, Felix, and Alec immediately sped off and came back with the gold table, and Athenodora took the white bed sheets as the twins took Bella and held her, and splayed the sheets over the table, letting it flow off the surface. Then the twins placed the still human over it and on the table, body straightened and hand clasped together and placed over her chest. Her eyes were as blank as ever, wide open and unblinking.

The procession started the way, with Athenodora leading and the rest holding onto the table legs.

In the throne room, the Kings waited, watching with curious but solemn eyes as the group entered and then placed Bella in the middle of the room. They stood back and waited, the Kings striding closer to get ready.

Athenodora sighed, gazing at her work. "I like this white Lolita dress. It's so fitting, in a strange, ironic way, for someone as pure as her to wear something so pure now when she's about to be set free."

Not that she really believed Bella was being set free. She firmly wanted the human to live.

She glanced around and blinked. Heidi was missing.

Hm, perhaps she didn't want to witness this. She didn't either.

She glanced at Demetri and wished she could hold his hand.

* * *

"Charlie!"

He looked up to see Heidi darting through his door.

"Heidi, what's wrong?"

She shook her head, "I found your daughter, but she's about to die. You need to come with me and not ask questions right now."

"Wha –"

"No time, Charlie. Later," and then she grabbed and hauled him onto her back and sped off, going as fast as she could to make it in time.

And then the castle's door were in sight and she went in, running through corridors to find the throne room. When she came in, she interrupted precisely at the moment Aro was about to lean down and bite her neck as his brothers stood by each of her wrists, holding them up and ready to bite down.

"What is the meaning of this?" Aro demanded, narrowing his eyes at her.

She put Charlie down on his feet and forced herself not to cower.

"This is Charlie. Her father," she dared to look defiantly back.

Aro only slightly deflated, looking weary.

"Regardless, I want to help her. And I will –by ending her existence."

Charlie glared, straightening up and taking a brave step forward and pushing questions to the back of his mind.

"Now wait here, I won't let you harm my daughter. I'll be damned if I just stand here," Charlie scowled.

"Does your daughter look like she wants to live?" Aro asked softly, a hand waving towards the broken form of Bella.

"She can't even speak for herself!" Charlie countered, glaring harder than before and eyes embarrassingly tearing. He hadn't cried so much since Renee left him and took Bella with her.

"She told us when she first came here that she wanted to die. And by our hand."

Charlie shook his head in denial. "No…no, you're lying."

"I'm afraid not. Felix, Demetri."

Felix appeared behind Heidi as Demetri appeared behind Charlie, effectively grabbing onto the two and set to hold them back. Heidi glanced back at Felix in betrayal, and he looked back apologetically at her.

Aro, Caius, and Marcus resumed their positions.

"A shame, Heidi, you had not interrupted a little later. _After_ we had bitten her," Marcus stated calmly, voice echoing in the room and surprising everyone. "Then she would be turned."

Heidi gazed at the unusually livened King, thinking if anyone, he could stop this madness.

And then there was another interruption.

"Bella, sweetheart. You need to stop this. Come back to me."

Edward Cullen's voice did not just ring out.

The vampires turned to look at Marcus, who shook his head and wore a scowl on his face, eyes darting around to look for the source of the voice. Then the doors to the throne room opened once more, and Sulpicia, who everyone else had forgotten was supposed to be there, stood there scowling and with a surprising person by her side.

Zafrina of the Amazon coven stood there uncertainly next to the surly female vampire, before gazing on the wilted body of the human in the center of everything. She spoke again.

"Bella," Edward's voice sounded once more and shockingly enough, Bella's body stiffened and showed signs of life for the first time in a long while. "Please. Look at me."

Amazingly, Bella's head turned in Aro's hands, staring at the dark-skinned vampire with slowly becoming aware eyes. And while everyone else saw Zafrina, there was no doubt to them that Edward Cullen stood clearly in her place in Bella's eyes.

Zafrina faltered at the intense stare and the sudden attention from her before plunging on.

"Bella, I'm here now and I will never leave you again."

And a heartbreakingly happy smile formed on Bella's face.

Everyone else saw and frowned, glad that Bella was aware again but unhappy at the way it had come about.

Even Sulpicia, who had orchestrated it.

Started 1/12/09 –Completed 1/21/10


	3. Blinded By Faith, I Couldn’t Hear

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of the characters, else I wouldn't be writing fanfiction of it.  
Story: After Edward leaves Bella, she's lost. Hanging only by a thread of hope in the form of the Volturi, she heads to Volterra, Italy with her death (and maybe her rebirth) in mind. There, three brothers will start to compete for her heart.  
Set AU of New Moon.  
Spoilers: For Twilight and some of New Moon, for sure.  
Warnings: Smut in the future, language, violence, slightly suicidal thoughts, etc…  
Pairings: Aro/Bella, Marcus/Bella, Caius/Bella, Demetri/Athenodora, Felix/Heidi, Charlie/Sulpicia

A/n: I want to thank you all for being so patient. This chapter was really hard to finish. I couldn't seem to be able to figure out how to start a scene or keep writing one, and I definitely started struggling finishing the damn thing. It's finished, but unfortunately a little shorter than the other two. And another reason this story is so hard to write is it's really _emotion_ heavy and all. I have to get myself into that emotional state and into Bella's shoes, and it's really, really exhausting. Sorry I couldn't reply to everyone, but just wow! I love all of your feedback so much!

But...OMG! All the reviews! It's so overwhelming! I WANT TO REPLY TO YOU ALL! I LOVE YOOOOU! Utter fail on my part...

**Stairway to Heaven  
**_Chapter Three: Blinded By Faith, I Couldn't Hear_

"Rosalie, I'm so glad you don't really hate me," Bella whispered.

The beautiful vampire only offered a small smile.

But it meant a lot to Bella, who eagerly took her marble hand and led the way through the crowd to a café.

Heidi cringed, but shot a look over her shoulder to have Zafrina follow, who reluctantly did so. She'd lost to Jane to be Alice, both wanting to be the pixie vampire simply because she was the closest to Bella after Edward, but Rosalie would have to do. And, to be honest, she was closer to being Rosalie than Alice anyway. Except she wasn't that bitchy.

"Bella, what do you want for a snack?"

Bella scrunched up her eyebrows, "I'm not sure. I can't believe I'm in Italy though! What do you suggest, Rosalie?"

"Get the ginger orange biscotti. You might like it," Heidi suggested.

"Sounds good," Bella hummed appreciatively. "Too bad Alice isn't here. Where is she again?"

Heidi hid her wince. Jane and most of the other guard didn't venture much outside or interacted with humans. They never really had the need. Heidi, as the lure, had no qualms about going into town. As a result, she (as Rosalie) was the only one accompanying Bella around town.

"Alice has to stay inside the castle with Jasper. He…isn't feeling good."

"Oh, that's too bad. I hope he feels better. I wonder what's wrong…"

There was a dispute on who would be Jasper. Alec wanted to be him as he and Jane spent the most time together, but the real Jasper and Alice were married and that required the twins to be able to do less than unsavory things. So it was settled that Demetri would play him as Athenodora took over being Alice when the two needed to kiss and be affectionate with each other, otherwise Alec and Jane played the couple.

Heidi and Bella finished up at the café and then they started making their way back to the castle. Bella looked like the happy and content girl in the photo Heidi had glimpsed. She was happy about that, but it sucked that it had to be because of the _Cullens_, charade that it was.

They barely entered the castle, the elevator pinging and then opening to let them enter the underground, when Jane ambushed Bella, giving her a hug.

"Bella, there's this cute dress I want to put on you! Come on!" the girl vampire started dragging her away, and Bella threw an exasperated but fond look over her shoulder to Heidi.

And the dresses were, of course, provided by Athenodora and continuing the Lolita trend.

Heidi shook her head and met up with Felix on her way to see Charlie, who paced restlessly in his room.

"Heidi, Felix, what the hell's going on?" the man snapped. "I just saw crazy things two days ago –was it two days ago?! –and I'm really not sure what I saw. And where's Bella?! I want to see my daughter!"

Heidi nodded to Felix, who slipped back and went to find Jane and Bella, while she stayed and sat down on a chair.

"Charlie, I know you haven't gotten answers yet, but we're not quite sure what to do with you. You remember me running here, don't you? Fast, too fast for a human? And you remember hearing Edward's voice coming from Zafrina? And what Marcus had said about biting her and turning her?"

"Yes," Charlie was trembling in slight fear.

"You're like your daughter, Charlie. You know this. You know what we are."

Charlie shivered, "V-vampires?"

"Correct. And you know how we usually feed."

"You drink blood. From people."

"That's right, Charlie," Heidi soothed. "I and everyone else in this castle drinks human blood. The Cullens and several other covens drink from animals."

"The C-Cullens?"

Heidi nodded, "They're like me as well." So she began telling him about her kind and he was silent, listening with a stoic face. "Now Charlie, my coven is like vampire royalty. We make rules for vampires to live by and we enforce those rules. One of those rules, and the main one, is that no human can know about us. If one were to find out about our kind, their choice is to become one of us or to be turned. Most often than not, we choose for them…and it's usually death."

Charlie frowned, "What does this mean for Bella? She knew about the Cullens."

"Now that is a long story," Heidi murmured before she started recanting everything that happened from the moment Bella stepped into the city. "I know it's hard to accept, but that's the truth. And we don't want to kill her, regardless of the rules. It would…somehow be wrong. Pointless. I can't find the word to say how we're feeling now, but we simply cannot make that decision. Not now and probably not ever. Truthfully, a large part of it has to do with our selfishness. Something about her drew her to us and we wanted to keep her forever, even as she was. And now we're here, for her, and hoping to see her become the girl in the photo you showed me."

Charlie nodded, sighing.

Felix came in, Bella in tow and completely confused. That is, until the confusion was wiped away by joy.

"Dad!" she flung herself at him, Charlie clutching onto her in relief. "Rosalie, Emmett, this is great! Thanks for this surprise!"

Felix and Heidi forced a smile onto their faces, Charlie glancing unsurely at them. Heidi gave him a discreet nod, making note to explain later.

"We'll leave you here with your dad, Bella. We'll see you in a little bit."

The couple trailed away, leaving father and daughter to talk.

Heidi immediately grew a sullen look on her face.

"_I_ have to pretend to be that _bitch_," she spat out. "Me. I am so much more prettier. Tell me I'm more gorgeous than her, Felix."

A fond smile crossed his face, "Of course you are."

"Say it."

He laughed boisterously, grabbing her around the waist and tugging her closer, nuzzling her neck.

"You are more gorgeous than Rosalie Cullen, Heidi."

The brunette giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck, his tall height causing her to lift up from the ground as he straightened up and she kept her hold on him. She leaned her head up, kissing him several times. Felix swung her completely into his arms, then carrying her off bridal style.

Jane silently appeared, rolling her eyes. She silently walked through the halls, to where Felix had dragged Bella off to, and peeked into the room, watching Bella interact with her dad.

"Zafrina, are you there?" she whispered.

The dark-skinned vampire appeared next to her, Jane unfazed by her sudden appearance. She nodded at the Amazon vampire and took an unneeded breath, stepping through the door.

"Bella, do you and your father want to eat out for lunch?"

"Sure, Alice. I'm up for it. Dad?"

Charlie glanced unsurely at the short vampire before nodding.

Jane gave a stiff smile before leading them out, refraining from inhaling and smelling their scent. She led them outside, putting on her hood as they traveled to an expensive restaurant and Jane actually traveling outside of the castle for once. She quickly fed them before offering to take them shopping for casual clothes. Bella looked at her in surprise.

"That's unlike you, Alice. Unless you're going to shove us into designer casual clothes," Bella teased.

Jane inwardly flinched at her mistake, "Of course. Don't be so surprised, Bella."

Bella laughed heartily and Jane beamed, happy to see _Bella _happy. Charlie was looking at her curiously, but he didn't say anything aloud, playing along.

Once in the stores, Charlie wandered off to the male section as Jane lightly tugged Bella towards the women's.

"So, I was thinking of those cute jeans over there and –"

"Y-you're not Alice, aren't you?" Bella's voice was sad, but resigned.

It was only too late that she noticed Zafrina wasn't there, and Bella had stopped. Jane slowly turned around, looking up timidly –her, _timid_ –and waited for the dark-haired girl to say anything else, unwilling to speak up herself.

Bella only tugged at her hand.

"My name is Bella, sweetheart. What's your name?"

Jane studied the human girl curiously, but answered softly.

"My name is Jane."

Bella swallowed harshly, "I see. Well, Jane. You're not Alice. You don't have to be Alice. I…understand now that everything has been an illusion and I've…been _stupidly _letting myself be deluded because I can't let go. It's not right and I don't want you to pretend to be someone you're not either. I would like to know _you_, sweetheart. So let's go shopping together?"

Bella wasn't completely fixed, but she broke free of her illusions. Hers, not just Zafrina's. The illusions were gone and it was too late to go back to them, and Bella realized she only had the future to look forward to. And while it might take awhile for things to be all right, at least there was one saving grace Jane noted. Bella was willing to heal without the Cullens.

"Charlie really is here, right?"

Jane lightly laughed, "Yes, your father is here. He looked for a long time for you…You are sure then, that you want to try to live…and without the illusions?"

Bella gave her a sorrowed smile, "No, I'm not sure. But I realize it's better than trying to live a lie. And I don't want to go back to being that lifeless girl. Charlie is here, and despite everything he's _still _here. And for me. And…I've only just met you, but it hurts to know you would be someone else. I don't want you to pretend to be anyone but yourself, and it's wrong of me to want you to be an illusion. I want to live for Charlie's sake, and I want to live to get to know you and the others."

Bella was clearly still broken, but she was forcing herself to move on.

Jane touched her fingers against Bella's cheek gently.

"Don't force it. Move on at your pace."

Bella blinked back tears, "I just don't want to go back to being that lifeless girl again. I'm scared that I will."

"Mia Bella, you have a new family now. You'll see. And you will meet us properly soon," Jane swore, feeling much better having Bella talking to her as herself and not Alice.

And the shopping turned out not to be so bad after all.

* * *

After having waved a surprised Zafrina away, Jane enjoyed being by Bella's side as herself. Then they were back in the castle, dropping a tired Charlie off so he could take a nap, and then bringing Bella to her own room.

The brunette stared around the white room with tired eyes, seeing the extravagant chandelier, the white bed underneath it, and the large space around. And the red and white rose petals strewn around that had Bella and Jane's lips tugging into smiles.

"…Alec, Felix, and Demetri had fun with the roses. They took turns shredding them and then pelting each other with them. When they got tired of that, they just started throwing it around like confetti," Jane confessed, drawing loud laughter from Bella.

"I remember this room…and I remember just sitting or laying on that bed. It's all a daze, but there are glimpses of things I remember, some images stronger than others," Bella murmured. "I remembered the first time seeing you and your brother, a beautiful woman usually coming in here with a large man, and C-Caius…and Marcus, though I remember all three brothers from before I, uh, broke," Bella laughed awkwardly.

"Do you want a new room?" Jane questioned.

Bella shook her head, "No…_these_ memories, even while I was broken, I can deal with. It'll help remind me not to fall back into the black void again…"

"I want you to meet Alec," Jane gently grabbed her hand.

And then it was the start of Bella being reintroduced to the Volturi, this time without being a meal ticket. When she met the ones who were already aware of her, their eyes lit up and they were pleased to be able to meet and talk to Bella as themselves.

Heidi gave Bella a huge hug, which her boyfriend ("That no one's supposed know is her boyfriend," Jane whispered into Bella's ear when they were away) echoed. Demetri and Athenodora gave her smaller hugs, with Athenodora casually apologizing about Bella having to walk in on the two of them the last time. Bella had blushed bright red at the reminder, and Athenodora smiled teasingly while Demetri kept a straight face. Bella was sure she wasn't imagining the mischievous glint in his eyes though. Alec joined them on the tour, chattering non-stop about all sorts of stuff, and surprising his sister with how talkative and social he was being.

And then it came to see the leaders, who were surprised to see them. Aro straightened up, smoothing down the front of his dress shirt consciously. Caius ignored them and remained sitting casually on his seat sideways, resting his chin on his hand in boredom and his legs hanging off the armrest. Marcus' usual impassive attitude lifted, and the man seemed to come alive at the sight of Bella, a gentle smile crossing his face.

"So, who's pretending to be Carlisle now?" Caius rolled his eyes.

Aro glared at him, hissing, "It won't work when you're spouting off about pretend. And _I'm_ Carlisle."

"No more pretend," Bella stated softly, and the twins had mysteriously disappeared, to leave her with the Kings.

The brothers' immediately looked at her, a spark of interest finally lighting Caius at the same time as his brothers turned worried.

Bella licked her lips, "I want…I want to accept your offer, but I'm not sure. I want to be part of your family, but I don't want to be left behind like with the Cullens. I want to be here, but I'm not sure if all of you are sincere in keeping me here. I want so much, but I feel like a little child who needs her hand to be held and for her to be led around –because I feel so _insecure_."

Her voice cracked, but she was human and it still hurts and there was still this gaping hole in her chest –

"Edward."

She gasped and her hands immediately shot up to her chest, clutching at it.

"Edward, Edward, Edward," Caius repeated, almost cruelly.

His brothers stared at him appalled and upset, but he stood up and walked closer to the human girl, steadily repeating the name like it was a curse word. He stopped in front of the shivering girl, who was almost doubled over in pain. He stood stock still, completely straight, even as one hand reached out and took one of hers. Instead of grasping it, he held it up by touching his fingertips to hers, holding it moderately high between them.

"Who do you see, a white-haired man who is uncaringly chanting a name, or a boy with gold eyes that promises sweet lies?" he asked softly.

Bella slowly looked up, her face still pained, staring teary at his face.

"A-a white-haired man…"

Caius nodded, "He's not here, girl. It's just a name."

Bella took a deep breath, "J-just a n-name."

"Good. Now you've been to the library before, tell me what you like to read," Caius continued nonchalantly, taking her arm and looping it through his as he led them more inside the library.

Aro and Marcus looked at each other before standing up and following after the two.

Days passed as Bella got to know the Volturi, who admittedly had strange habits and were at times cruel or at least brutal, if not merciless. But never with her. And they _never_ let her in the throne room during feeding time. They also never let her out of the castle without an escort, and if it weren't for her knowing that they just wanted to make sure she could come back and that she was safe and fine, she would've thought she was a prisoner. But she knew better by then.

Jane hung around her a lot, and Alec almost as much when he wasn't busy with missions. Charlie was let out more and the two of them hung around each other, especially during feeding time –when the both of them weren't allowed to be in the room for their own health.

Caius, Athenodora, and Demetri were in an odd relationship. Caius was married to Athenodora, but didn't care about or love her. Athenodora and Demetri were lovers, and Caius permitted it so long as it was hidden and out of sight. The two didn't bother with divorce or any actual work to separate, as it was too much work and too many people to involve.

It was all of this and more that had Bella feeling more and more at home with the Volturi.

And strangest and best yet, she spent the most time with the Kings, who never failed to either keep her surprised or entertained in some way. But it was the one wife who eluded her, though she heard about what Sulpicia had done for her, that she wanted to talk to so she could thank properly.

But the fair-haired vampire was never in sight.

And then one day, she entered a room in one of the quieter halls that Jane had said faced the garden, wanting to be alone for a little while. Instead, there was the vampire she had been looking for, calmly sitting on a chair by the window, looking out and observing the garden in the bare room. Bella hesitated, and then decided she wouldn't intrude and started to back out.

"Come here, child."

Bella did so, surprised that the vampire had wanted her there. She crept closer, uncertain as to what Sulpicia could want from her. It was even more of a surprise when the vampire gently took her wrists and guided her to the floor, allowing her to rest her head on her lap.

"You don't have to be strong with me, Bella. Cry, if you must. Here with me, you can stop pretending it still doesn't hurt."

Bella was shocked that the woman had known that, especially since she hadn't seen Sulpicia near her at all since Zafrina was sent home and everyone had met her as themselves. And she was so shocked, she had already started crying silently, feeling Sulpicia soothingly brush her hand through Bella's hair.

She had the thought that the Esme she had thought she'd seen was probably Sulpicia.

Later, having drifted around the halls in a daze, she was caught off guard when she saw Demetri training. She watched in interest at his movements, wondering what he was practicing.

"Is that a type of martial arts?"

Demetri answered without stopping, making her roll her eyes at vampires in general. Yeah, yeah, he already knew she was there and was already splitting his attention for her…

"I'm performing the katas for tae kwon do."

"Oh, I see," Bella hmmed, still watching. "Do all the guards know it, or something like it?"

"Somewhat. Most of us learn something to pass the time. Living forever kind of creates the need to fill in our lives with something to do, before we go mad with boredom," he winked at her and she smiled in amusement.

"What else do you do?" Bella asked in curiosity.

"Well…and if you tell anyone this, I'll come after you," he mock-threatened, "but I like to garden. I have my own personal garden on one of the many hidden rooftops on the castle, away from the easy view of the humans in the town. I'll take you there, if you'd like."

"I would love that," she beamed. "Thank you, Demetri."

"Would you like to learn?" he asked.

"Learn?" she blinked.

"Something. Martial arts, gardening, whatever you like. Surely the Volturi will provide you with anything you wish."

"Um…that's nice of you all…but would you just teach me martial arts and gardening for now? I'm not sure of anything I'd like to learn and think I'll just…go with what comes in life, I suppose," she nodded her head surely, content with her thinking.

Demetri laughed, oddly unlike himself.

"You're like an adorable little sister, you know that?"

She pouted, "I'm not little."

"Compared to me and most of everyone here? Yeah, you are."

"Stop teasing me!"

"The only ones not taller than you are Jane and Alec, and physically they're 13 or something like that. Poor you."

Her pout intensified, which only made him laugh harder. She couldn't help but crack a smile as well, and start laughing along with him.

It really wasn't so bad there…

Athenodora watched curiously, wheels turning in her head and plans already being made, broken down, and then revised. A brilliant scheme was already in the works, and she wore a triumphant and happy smile as she watched the scene, ready to tackle her lover and drag him into her plan –willing or not.

This…this was the key. And it was going to be Athenodora who turned it and brought heaven down to its knees and on earth, resurrecting a stairway that would make hell into paradise, a divine comedy leap from Greek tragedy to a fairytale, and a fall from grace become a rise in conquest.

What better way to achieve everlasting rapture, than to rise from Hell and seek Eden?

* * *

"Athenodora, I'm not quite sure this is a good idea," Demetri winced.

The female vampire scoffed, "I know what I'm doing, Demetri. And I'm not going to change my mind."

"You know I'm willing to do anything for you," Demetri looked haunted. "But I don't think this is going to work. Really, what good will it do?"

Frustrated that he couldn't see her vision, Athenodora stood up abruptly and stalked towards him.

"She's so used to that scrawny boy of a vampire that she needs to broaden her views, expand her choices, _add_ to her experience."

Demetri blanched, "I get that. But you're asking _me_ to help with _that_. Athenodora, love, Bella is like a little sister to me. It's going to be more than odd having to flirt and be intimate in any way with her."

"You're the only person I can trust with this," Athenodora sighed in aggravation. "I want to bring Bella to life, put passion in her. Show her how to really live life. And I want to _properly_ introduce Bella to womanhood. Lord knows how that boy treated her, or taught her about anything on pleasure."

"Athenodora, you want me to teach her about _sex_," he pointed out with a wince.

"Actually, we'll get to teaching later. Romance her a little, tease her a bit. Make her feel wanted and desirable, like a woman should. Slowly ease into an intimacy that will completely and utterly distract her from any mere mention of that idiot vampire."

"A distraction, you say?" Demetri's eyes lit up, and she saw he was finally caving in.

Edward Cullen had become a sore spot for all of them.

"Yes. A distraction," her smugness was easily heard.

He took her wrist and planted soft lingering kisses on it.

"Oh, to replace memories of Edward Cullen would be such a pleasure," he purred.

"Better yet, a complete erasure of his presence," she breathed out, lips curling upwards satisfactorily. "It won't be that hard, won't it, love? Bella is beautiful, and so kind and sweet. Taint her in a way _Edward_ was never willing to."

"It would be my delight."

She laughed lightly, "I knew it would. She should be in her room by now, Demetri. You'll know exactly how to approach her."

He stood up smoothly and laid a final kiss on her lips.

"Heaven is just a reach away," she sighed. "Show her paradise, my love."

"As you wish it, and as she wills it," he murmured, bowing reverently before leaving.

So he walked to her room, seeing her calmly sitting on her bed and rereading _Romeo and Juliet_, a title he had come to despise after knowing her association of it to Edward, but plastered a smile on his face and began quoting.

"'One fairer than my love? The all seeing sun ne'er saw her match since first the world begun,'" he murmured, striding into the room.

She was caught off guard, but recovered quickly, sending him a tired smile.

"For never was there a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo," she answered back sadly.

He inwardly scoffed, "Not his most best work, but probably his most well-known. I like _A Midsummer's Night_. 'But earthlier happy is the rose distilled than that which withering on the virgin thorn grows, lives, and dies in single blessedness.'"

He saw the interested look on her face, despite the blush at the words, and smiled softly, watching as she sat up straighter and had all her concentration on him.

"I know that work, but I've never read it or know much about it," she admitted. "And I looked for more Shakespeare in the library, but couldn't find that one."

Demetri's smile turned sly.

"Then perhaps I shall have to start from the beginning and tell it to you myself."

Her eyes brightened, "Oh, you have it memorized?"

"But of course. Vampires have perfect memory, remember? I like to memorize my favorite books for me to recite whenever I wish."

"Like _Fahrenheit 451_ by Ray Bradbury?" she asked excitedly.

"Exactly," he approved. He sat himself on the bed incredibly close to her, and though she stiffened up in confusion, he could see her brush it off. So he took it to another step, and casually put his arm around her and leaned them both back against the headboard. He began narrating the play, and though she was stiff at first she began to relax at the sound of his voice and as she listened to him intently. Soon enough, she was leaning against him comfortably, all of her attention on him as he told her the play and switching voices as fit for each character.

Started 1/23/10 –Completed 4/7/10

A/n: So, I have a lot of ideas, especially after having gone to the Twilight Convention in SF…I just need to find a way to write them out. So please be patient!


	4. Clear Warnings in All the Whispers

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or any of the characters, else I wouldn't be writing fanfiction of it.  
Story: After Edward leaves Bella, she's lost. Hanging only by a thread of hope in the form of the Volturi, she heads to Volterra, Italy with her death (and maybe her rebirth) in mind. There, three brothers will start to compete for her heart.  
Set AU of New Moon.  
Spoilers: For Twilight and some of New Moon, for sure.  
Warnings: Smut in the future, language, violence, slightly suicidal thoughts, etc…  
Pairings: Aro/Bella, Marcus/Bella, Caius/Bella, Demetri/Athenodora, Felix/Heidi, Charlie/Sulpicia

**Stairway to Heaven  
**_Chapter Four: Clear Warnings in All the Whispers_

Bella wasn't sure if it was her, but she was pretty sure that both Demetri and Athenodora were absolutely crazy. She wasn't sure if she should be agreeing to such a thing, but she was glad they told her what they were planning on doing.

As in, they were still planning on doing it, but they were at least giving her the decency of telling her and giving fair warning of their crazy plans.

Also, somehow Felix and Heidi had gotten pulled into this whole mess and Bella couldn't quite remember or understand just how that came to be.

"No, no! Kiss her again!" Athenodora shouted at the burly vampire.

Felix huffed. "What's wrong with how I'm kissing Bella?"

Heidi gave a shrug to her boyfriend when he looked to her. She didn't know either.

Bella agreed. She'd been thoroughly kissed several times by Felix. She didn't know what Athenodora was seeing wrong, because Bella was very sure that those were very fine kisses indeed. Knocked the breath out of her, they did. Each one had been much more than she'd ever been able to do with Edward, and when she gave thought to that, she was surprised and pleased that the thought of his name hadn't brought her anything more than a dull pain.

Maybe she really was getting better.

"Maybe I should try kissing her?" Heidi suggested and Bella just stared at the group of vampires.

Somehow, having been essentially propositioned by Athenodora and Demetri hadn't managed to make her falter in her calmness just yet…but it had been a very close thing.

"Again," Athenodora hissed, glaring at Felix.

Felix nodded in exasperation, before turning back to Bella. He leaned closer, giving her a silly grin that she couldn't help her lips twitching into a smile at. He wagged his eyebrows and a giggle escaped her, before she made herself keep quiet.

"Seriously!"

She and Felix traded looks, before both leaning in again. But Felix's lips were twitching madly, and the two kept starting to laugh as they made poor attempts at trying to kiss. Each time they leaned in, they'd burst into laughter. Heidi kept giggling from her spot nearby.

Demetri growled and practically stalked towards Felix and Heidi, grabbing them by the neck and tossing them out of the room.

"Out, out! Just get out! You too, Athenodora!" he shuffled her out.

"But-but! This was my idea! You can't make me leave!" she retorted, but the door had slammed in her face. "Blast it! I'm the one who came up with the idea! I should be in there! Don't you dare hog her, Demetri!"

Felix and Heidi snickered at her, and she glared at them in disdain.

"You two are incorrigible. Go make yourselves useful," she scowled, before she strode away in irritation.

"…Let's go get some x-rated magazines to tease Bella with," Felix said suddenly.

Heidi couldn't help smiling and shaking her head at her boyfriend. "Fine, but don't tease her too much. She'll turn permanently red. And with her luck, she'll draw in the other Volturi members who don't know of her and think she's a snack."

"Oh, alright," Felix mock-sighed, before leading the way out of there.

Back in the chamber, Demetri was grumbling to himself as he straightened things up, knowing that Bella's eyes were on him.

"Demetri?"

"Hold on a second, Bella. I'll be right there."

And when everything was in order, he went over to her and smiled wryly.

"Okay. Let's begin this again, properly."

Bella opened her mouth, but whatever she was going to say left her mind, as Demetri leaned in and kissed her softly, lips gently but firmly pressing against hers. His cold hand moved up, caressing the side of her face and then going to cup the back of her head, pushing her close to him. He tilted his head and gently guided her mouth into moving along with his.

In some ways, she could understand now Athenodora's frustrations of what the female vampire had wanted from Felix.

Felix had been a force, and he had been playful and teasing. His kisses were just like that, and it was like joking around and messing with a friend or something.

Demetri's kiss was sensual, and there was this sort of breathless, meaningful and kind of "in the moment" feel to it, like the world had stopped and everything was frozen in time.

She kind of understood that this whole thing wasn't meant for her to have fun and be a lighthearted amusement. She was meant to feel, for it to _make_ her feel.

There were two types of enjoyment. There was the enjoyment in company, and joining in merriment. And then there was finding enjoyment in one self…to focus and think of just herself, for once.

When Demetri was kissing her, she could tell all his focus and attention was on her, and it was like nothing else mattered.

Demetri pulled back, smiling fondly at her, though she was really still too dazed and stunned to be able to come up with anything to say to him anyway.

"I think Athenodora would be very pleased with this progress," he announced smugly. "We should be able to move passed kissing soon enough."

"Would she?" Bella asked, still dazed. And she kept to that, because she wasn't sure she was ready or could handle processing the second part of what he'd said. "I hope you tell her I'm still not understanding much."

"Of course, but you're not really meant to think so much, but feel."

Right. Don't think so much, just…feel. _Feel_.

And feeling like this and focusing on what she was feeling, made it all the much easier to think of herself and not have her thoughts get drawn to Edward, like they used to.

She remembered how the two of them had initially went about telling what they wanted her to do with them, and she had been skeptical and dismissive of the idea at first. Physicality couldn't make her forget Edward.

But there was nothing else but to go for it, because she didn't want to be stuck continually in Edward's memory, which was why she had decided to agree anyway.

She guessed she could understand a little now. Don't think. No thinking. Just…focusing on the sensation, and just that…and suddenly there was no more room for anything else –not even Edward.

And as Demetri kissed her again, she could also admit that he and his and Athenodora's idea was a really good distraction.

Of course, when Bella related that to Athenodora, the female vampire was ecstatic and also pleased that her idea was working. Bella was surprised when she saw a curtain of golden hair for a moment, and the next, the press of unfamiliar lips were on hers. When Athenodora pulled away, a sly smile on her lips, Bella could only look at her in speechlessness, while Demetri was shaking his head in exasperation.

"You're always welcome into a threesome or you could even switch Demetri with myself every once and awhile for variety," she teased, and Bella turned bright red.

How long has it been since she'd done that though?

Bella couldn't help smiling, though she shook her head in the negative towards Athenodora.

"One step at a time please," Bella stated wryly, though a tinge of shyness leaked into her tone. "I'm not too sure I can handle that big a leap, Athenodora."

"Of course, of course. Patience. But I should be the only female vampire you will consider, when the time comes," Athenodora nodded surely.

"And what if it's _not_ a female vampire, but a human?" Bella unexpectedly felt playful, and joked with the other.

"Then I'll toss her off the roof of the castle so she's no longer considerable."

Bella choked on her breath, while Demetri face palmed and went over to take Athenodora.

"Dear, don't get overexcited now," he said sarcastically, as he took her arm.

"But it's the truth!" she protested.

The brunet sighed. "Athenodora, don't scare our human, you silly woman," he looked to Bella with an exasperated grin. "I'll see you later. I'll be picking up your lunch right now. Mushroom risotto and Macedonia fruit salad good?"

"Sounds delicious," Bella smiled and gave a small wave goodbye to the two.

She was rather amused and touched that the others had taken to researching the restaurants and finding what looked like what meals would seem tasty (they also seem to be enjoying this new pastime as well).

Stretching sometime later after she'd eaten and checked up on her father, she headed over to the brothers' wing, and entered quietly. She was sure they would hear her anyway, so she didn't take too much care in trying to be silent.

"Isabella," Aro suddenly appeared in front of her, smiling cheerfully. "How are you, principessa?"

He gently took her arm and hooked his around it, leading her to the brothers' main study, where all three had been working.

"I'm fine," she said honestly. "I'm sorry, am I interrupting anything?"

"Not at all, cara mia," Marcus spoke softly, offering her a gentle smile.

"No, it's fantastic," Caius grumbled. "Now I can get out of this mess of a problem."

"You will still eventually have to deal with it, Caius," Aro admonished.

Caius growled and childishly snatched up the papers that had been infuriating him, and threw them into the air.

"To the ashes, I say! Come, Isabella, let's do something more productive," Caius stalked over to Bella and Aro, swatting Aro away as he stole Bella from his arm and grabbed her hand, striding off to wherever he wanted.

"And where, pray tell, are you dragging our poor human off to?" Marcus raised an eyebrow.

"Anywhere but this damnable castle!" was what Caius shouted without turning back to them.

Bella just followed along in befuddlement.

Actually, she was a little taken aback and amazed to find herself in the Roman Theater, with the ruins still rather remarkable to her. She was dragged over to where the "seats" were and Caius plopped down, and she tentatively sat down next to him. Aro and Marcus silently joined the two, though she hadn't noticed they had come along.

Silent and sneaky seemed to be a requirement for all vampires, though these Italians she was now surrounded with seemed to delight in it and enjoy being that way around her and her father. It was opposite from the Cullens who took care to not startle her, while the Volturi seemed to take amusement from it and be playful with her, and didn't bother hiding their nature or habits. It was just how they were, she supposed.

"How's your…lessons with Demetri and Athenodora?" Caius hnned, and though she couldn't see his face, it had taken on an irritated look.

"They're…strange. Not bad though. Not as bad as I'd thought it would be," Bella hummed in thought. "Easing into flirting was odd. I don't think I'd ever really flirted before. It was kind of easier to flirt with Felix, but more natural to kiss with Demetri. Athenodora's…one of a kind."

"That she is," Aro said in amusement, though he too seemed off.

"The restaurants and plays Demetri took me to were really nice too. I don't think I've ever really been on dates either, now that I think about it. According to them, after I 'enjoy' just kissing for a bit, I should be ready to try and go further."

The edge of the stone step Marcus had been gripping crumbled as his hand clenched tightly.

None of the brothers were happy or approved of Athenodora's idea, but they had found out too late and if they were to do anything, they weren't sure what Bella's reaction would be. Better to play it safe…

That didn't mean they wouldn't be expressing their unhappiness with the others or their irritation with the situation in the meantime.

For Bella, it really was a rather strange situation. She wasn't really minding it now though. When Demetri kissed her, it was like she was being lit on fire, and it wasn't something she'd ever experienced before. Edward had never kissed her like this. She remembered craving his affection, and always wanting to kiss him all the time. But it felt so controlled and distant, and she always ended up feeling unwanted and unsatisfied.

In each of Demetri's kisses, she felt desired and like the center of his world. Even Athenodora's kisses were tender and just the right feel of warmth.

Between those two, she stopped thinking that maybe there was something wrong with her or that no one could ever want her, especially if even a woman could want to kiss her so much (particularly as Athenodora was really pretty too).

It was the ego boost Bella admitted she needed.

The sounds of _Canto Della Terra_ filtered through the air, and Bella smiled slightly to herself as she listened to it.

"I want to dance," Caius declared suddenly. "Come, girl."

"Her name is Isabella, Caius," Aro said in exasperation.

"Come, _human_."

And somehow, suddenly, Bella found herself pulled into a slow waltz with the snow-white haired vampire, who surprisingly hummed quietly to the song as he led her through the dance. Though Aro huffed and Marcus rolled his eyes, they sat there completely still and sung quietly along to the song.

It's hard to forget Edward when she wasn't around Demetri or Athenodora (or even any of the others). But…It was a crazy thought, but she felt the calmest and a strange sort of peace around the three brothers.

* * *

Sulpicia tilted her head, examining the painting. She'd seen this particular one over a thousand times, and many other paintings in that museum either almost just as much or more.

But there was something different this time.

"What do you think?"

Charlie shifted awkwardly. "It's…chic?"

"You don't even know what chic means."

He shrugged. "No…but I thought it sounded artsy?"

She laughed, and he likened it to the tinkling of bells. Hell, most of the vampires he'd heard laughing sounded like that, even the males!

Charlie gave her an awkward smile, but it was okay because he was an awkward man.

"Come along, Charlie. There is another hall I'd like to see. Then shall I take you out to lunch, so you may eat?" she gave him a fond smile.

"Yes, ma'am, please."

She laughed again. She quite liked this human.

The truth was, she'd been assigned to distract and keep Charlie company (she found she didn't really mind, and even surprisingly came to like the human male a lot). He was even more lost there than his daughter, and there was that he was actually new to this whole supernatural world that actually existed. And also, there were certain others there that didn't want Charlie to know or get upset at the particular activities and going on's that they were involving Bella in.

Demetri and Athenodora were just only two specific individuals.

It would also help keep him away or not stumble upon other vampires in the castle that have yet to know about either him or Bella, and ultimately turn into a snack.

However, it was becoming increasingly harder to keep the humans from being noticed and found by the other vampires in the castle. Though it seemed, by the looks of things as they walked into the main hall, that Aro and the others had finally found it prudent to actually do something about it, aside from hiding the humans really well.

"Everyone!" Aro, in his usual cheerfulness, clapped his hands excitedly and addressed the ten vampires waiting in a straight line. "Demetri, Felix, Heidi, Jane, and Alec already know Isabella and Charlie. Chelsea, Corin, Renata, Afton, and Santiago, if you remember Isabella from that one feast quite some time ago? Charlie is her father. These two humans are staying here –the castle is their new home. They are honored guests here, and are not to be snacks!"

Caius sighed at his brother, while Marcus gave him a look. Aro ignored both of them, as well as Sulpicia's irritated glance and Athenodora's disdainful huffing. The vampires in the main guard who already knew, were mentally shaking their heads at their master's exuberance and tactless phrasing.

Though confused, the other five gave respectful bows and all stated their understanding of the implicit order.

"I know they are human, but soon enough they'll be changed before you know it," Aro finished, and though his words were affable, his tone was actually very much solemn.

The fact was, Aro, Marcus, and Caius understood, was that Bella and Charlie were human and they _knew_. The Volturi had to uphold their own laws –and there was no way in hell they were going to kill the two.

"Change?! He isn't talking about what I think he's talking about, is he?" Charlie blurted out, slightly starting to panic.

Both Bella and Sulpicia went to take an arm and try to calm him, though Bella was surprised the other had done so.

"Anyway! To go full circle and close this, Isabella, Charlie, you two already know Demetri, Felix, Heidi, Jane, and Alec. Please meet the other five –that one is Chelsea, that is Corin, Afton, Renata who is my personal guard, and Santiago," Aro rounded out the introductions.

"I expect full control of yourselves," Caius suddenly spoke out, and surprising the group with his subtly protective order directed at the guards. "Practice your restraint, or we'll hear of it."

"And you won't be wanting to know the consequences," Marcus warned coldly.

The whole guard, even those that knew and had been with Bella and Charlie, nodded vehemently and swore on their lives to follow their leaders' commands, despite being taken aback by how protective and overzealous their leaders were over these two humans.

Aro nodded and traded discontented looks with his brothers.

Now to the next order of business…

The annual Volturi Ball was coming soon, and they would have to do something to keep Bella and Charlie out of sight and safe.

And what's more, the Cullens were coming.

Started 4/17/13 – Completed 4/17/13

**A/n: So, it's been a long time, right? Sorry about that. It's just, I really got upset with the fandom before, as someone had written a fic and basically stole it off my "Acta Sanctorum" fic, which is the one-shot version of this. Same premise, which I can understand as fic ideas get recycled (even though I know the idea hadn't been done before –the Volturi leaders' pages with Bella were empty back when I was writing; now I see tons of fics with the same ideas I've been using). However, what bothered me was the attempt to copy **_**my**_** style. I wrote the fic a certain way, and someone tried to do a rip off…and people were reading and not noticing that. So I got upset and sort of turned my focus elsewhere. However, I really like this fic and I've been wanting to get back to it, so I've made it a regular and attempting to try to update it once a week. Thanks for listening to this rant, guys! Hope people are still interested in this fic. Please review if you enjoyed.**


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